Arts

Celebrating 100 Years of a Musical Work and Premiering a New One

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The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes presents the next concert of its Musicians’ Choice Series, as a septet organized by violinist Avner Finberg performs Stravinsky’s ‘Soldier’s Tale’. He tells us about that work, as well as about the premiere of his composition ‘The Miracle of Hanukkah’ coming up on December 9.  

Photo credit: Grasya Orbon

Arts

Marietta Cheng Returns to the OSFL

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The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes welcomes back Conductor Laureate Marietta Cheng for Folk Tales à la Russe, an all-Russian program of music by Glinka, Tchaikovsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov. “Marietta Cheng  served as Music Director and Conductor of the OSFL from its creation until May of 2008. From 1986 to 1995, Cheng was Conductor of the Corning Philharmonic. Ms. Cheng is Professor of Music and Conductor at Colgate University and chair of the Music Department. The Colgate University Orchestra, under her baton, is one of the best liberal arts college orchestras in the country.

Arts

Danish Violinist Julie Eskar Performs with OSFL

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The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes welcomes Danish violinst Julie Eskar, performing Robert Schumann’s Violin Concerto in d minor. Although written in 1853, it remained virtually unknown until 1937.  Julie Eskar tells this fascinating story involving seances and copyright battles, and talks about her career as a concertmaster, soloist, chamber musician. http://wskg.org/audio/eskar.mp3

 

Photo credit: www.eskarjulie.com

Arts

Trio Alexander Performs Two Concerts

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The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes welcomes Trio Alexander for two performances, on Friday at the Rockwell Museum in Corning and on Saturday at the Sayre Theatre in Sayre.  They talk about how the ensemble took shape and about their recent whirlwind tour of Great Britain, crammed into a tiny car around a harp. http://wskg.org/audio/trioalexander.mp3

 

Photo credit: Trio Alexander

Arts

Jonathan Fenwick is the Featured Soloist with the OSFL

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2016 Doreen B. Hertzog Concerto/Aria Competition Winner Jonathan Fenwick is the violin soloist with the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes  led by Maestro Toshiyuki Shimada in their concert on Sunday, March 5 in the Clemens Center in Elmira. The Ithaca native will be playing the third movement of Camille Saint-Saens Violin Concerto No.3. He speaks with us from his dorm room at the Oberlin Conservatory. Also on the program are  George Gershwin’s An American in Paris performed by the Youth Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes and the Junior String Ensemble, Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No.2  the YOSFL performing side by side with OSFL, Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra  with narrator Ed Williams, and two choral works by Johannes Brahms performed by the Chorus of the Southern Finger Lakes, Schicksalslied  and Nänie. http://wskg.org/audio/fenwick.mp3

 

Photo credit: Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes

Arts

An Ithaca College Pianist Headlines the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes Concert this Weekend

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The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes welcomes pianist Benjamin Pawlak as soloist in Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No.1. Ben is a native of Horseheads and is currently a senior at Ithaca College and also plays viola.  He tells us about growing up and having to decide between the two,  and how he and Maestro Shimada decided on the Liszt for this week’s concert.  The program also includes ‘The Planets’ by Gustav Holst and the ‘Star Wars Overture’ by John Williams.

 

Photo credit: Benjamin Pawlak

Arts

Juilliard Violinist is Soloist with the OSFL

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The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes presents Juilliard violinist Chelsea Starbuck Smith as the soloist as Maestro Toshiyuki Shimada leads the orchestra in the Violin Concerto of Jean Sibelius. The program also includes the ‘Grand Canyon Suite’ by Ferde Grofe and the ‘Blumine’ movement that was originally part of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No.1. Ms. Smith also teaches music in a pre-school program and is an avid bluegrass fiddler. http://wskg.org/audio/starbucksmith.mp3

 

Photo credit: OSFL

 

 

Arts

Toshiyuki Shimada and the OSFL celebrate the season

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The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes  presents a Holiday Concert on Sunday, December 13 at 4pm in the Clemens Center in Elmira featuring Amanda Kohl, soprano; Ivy Walz, mezzo-soprano; and the Chorus of the Southern Finger Lakes. Maestro Toshiyuki Shimada leads the orchestra and chorus in selections from Handel’s Messiah and well as other holiday favorites, and some unexpected surprises.  

 

Photo courtesy Quinn Dombrowski via Flickr